


To Terms

by AshaCrone



Series: Nesting [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Birth, Body Dysphoria, Dubious Consent, Genderbending, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Multi, Pregnancy, Threesome - M/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-12
Updated: 2013-01-06
Packaged: 2017-11-20 22:44:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/590479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AshaCrone/pseuds/AshaCrone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The time between Shepard's surrender to the Alliance and the arrival of the Reapers was not spent idly. Around the galaxy, others prepared, some schemed, while Derek Shepard waited to come to term.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Late to the party

  
**To Terms**  
Part One

Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts, not me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Warnings: adult language and situations, mentions of dub-con and non-con, mpreg, sexual situations, threesomes, gender-bending and birth. 

Characters/ pairings: Colonist War Hero Paragade ManShep/Kaidan/Garrus, others mentioned.

Summary: The Reapers are here, and amidst that backdrop, Commander Shepard struggles with gathering allies, caring for his child and fighting for his sanity.

~*~*~*~

Shepard could feel Vega's eyes on his back.

It had been two days since he had officially turned himself and the Normandy over to Alliance custody. Two days since he had been put under house arrest. Two days since Admiral Anderson had taken Vega aside and done his best to explain why Shepard was to be treated with some delicacy instead of gruff respect... Ever since that moment, he had felt Vega's eyes on him.

Not that Vega was being rude. More, it was 'watch to see if he sprouts tentacles' instead. 

The faint flutter under his navel pulled Shepard from his thought, bring a bittersweet smile to his lips as he looked down at his belly. The confused man might have handled tentacles better. 

"Commander," Vega said, somehow wrapping together a question and a statement at the same time. 

"I'm fine, James," he answered. Vega was at least good at his job, and hadn't complained about the previous night's thrilling adventure in nausea, which had resulted them both camping near the toilet. Or that Shepard had sent him for more green olives. "The bean is reminding me that she's there. Or taking dancing lessons."

"She?" Vega perked up as he walked into the small suite Shepard had been given for his house arrest. Not as nice as the Normandy, but the bed was soft. Even better, the bathroom had an actual tub. His feet and back had promptly forgiven Hackett for whatever slights he might have imagined."You know what the sex is already?"

"No," Derek answered, rueful. "Just... sort of hoping, but I'm not complaining either way. I have a friend I wanted to name her after. Though the name is unisex."

"Ashley Williams?"

Shepard nodded, rubbing his belly. What had become a nervous habit since his miscarriage, he had started doing deliberately. The soft padding, even in the last day, felt more pronounced. "Yeah. Not sure how Ash would feel about it, or if I should burden the bean with being named after a lost friend." He walked to the small cube fridge and pulled out the jar of olives, fishing one out of the brine. "Want one?"

"Eh, no thanks." Vega just shook his head, taking a look around. "Need anything else?"

Shepard looked out his window, noticed the children playing on the rooftop gardens. Sat down on the bed as tiredness melted his spine. _My baby's father. My turian security blanket. My mom. Nothing you can get._

"I'm fine, James," he said, putting down the jar of olives. He glanced back at the tall man, giving him a weak smile. "Thanks."

Vega walked out, nodding, and Shepard looked back out the window. He closed his eyes and took a long, deep, shuddering breath. Then he swallowed down tears.

"Damn hormones."

~*~*~*~*~

The first part of Kaidan Alenko's reunion with Garrus Vakarian had gone just about as expected.

Meaning that he was able to twist his head to negate the uppercut, instead of stand there and take it. 

The meeting _itself_ had been a surprise. Shepard had turned himself into Alliance custody a month prior; Liara had suggested that Shepard's allies touch base here on Illium. So he was here, arriving at Liara's apartment. Only to find it dark, stale and humid from a lack of inhabitant, empty of people except for a tall, pissed off and scarred-faced turian. 

"Why did you let it happen, Alenko?" Garrus snarled, throwing another punch, this time to Kaidan's gut. Again, something Kaidan had been prepared for, so he was tensed and was able to shrug off the damage. "If I wasn't there, it was _your_ job to keep him safe!"

" _Commander_ Shepard doesn't need a babysitter," Kaidan growled, wiping the blood from his lip and glowing with a biotic field half a moment before lifting Garrus into the air and dropping him again. "And dammit, where the _hell_ were _you_?" 

"Stepping out of the way!" Garrus barked as he tried to get up, but Kaidan's biotic field kept him plastered to the floor. "But if you can't take care of him, then _dammit_ -"

"He doesn't need someone to _take care of_ him," Kaidan replied. "And if you're so damn worried about him, you should have come back. What with all your talk of 'don't want to lose him' and- dammit. I had to follow orders, Garrus. I'm not some cowboy cop who can just blow off his duty whenever it suits him!"

~*~*~*~*~

"Do you know when Garrus and Kaidan are getting here, Liara?" Tali asked, fingers pattering on the table in Liara's old office. The room was well appointed with the wreckage of a small party; bottles of asari honey ale, crunchy fried beans, carefully colored bowls of dextro-compatible salted nuts, smoothies for Tali and nothing for Legion, who was standing there in the corner.

"I don't know," Liara said, frowning and checking her omni-tool. "I know your ship back to the Migrant Fleet leaves soon."

"As does my ship back to Omega," Samara said.

"I got a new job starting," Jack added, and Liara noted that she was dressed in studded leather and a lace top; something downright modest by her old standards.

"I know. It was, ah, hard enough arranging this," Liara said, rubbing her face. "And I need to get back to my base soon as well. I can't stay away for long. Though Feron is not bad at, ah, house-sitting."

Tali tilted her head to the side, tapping on her own omni-tool. "Is there any way you get a message through? I can't stand waiting-"

"Yeah, we're all fucking sick of waiting," Jack said, crossing her arms. "If they're not here, let's go to them."

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Liara said, after a pause. Her lips spread in a thin line. "We still need to keep our news a secret, and Illium is notorious for how well bugged it is." Her lips thinned in a harsh smile. "I can... mitigate that, somewhat, but a public spectacle would be almost impossible to suppress."

"But," Tali deflated. "I so wanted to be there when they heard about little Shepard nar Normandy." 

"As did I," Samara said, crossing her arms. "And," she stopped, trailed off. "The thought of Shepard being a parent, a mother- I had wished to-" She stopped again, her luminous eyes saddened. "But if it cannot be helped, then it cannot."

"We had also wished to share this news with Garrus Vakarian and Kaidan Alenko," Legion said. 

"I'm still surprised you told," Liara said, giving Tali a flat look. "Really, Tali? You had to tell _Legion_?"

"I had to tell _someone_!" Tali said, bouncing on her toes. "I was about to explode!"

~*~*~*~*~

The second part of their meeting had gone _nothing_ like Kaidan had imagined.

He locked Garrus into stasis, then headed to the door of the once-palatial apartment. He pushed at the unpowered door, which had opened smoothly to allow him in five minutes ago. He swore, flipping open his omni-tool and trying to find something to hack. Without power, he might as well as have tried hacking a rock.

Kaidan's stasis skill was rusty, and a moment later Garrus had surged to his feet, slamming them together against a wall. Wrists pinned to the wall, chest to chest, hip to-

"Garrus?" Kaidan hissed, feeling a hard, hot length pressing against his crotch. To his surprise, he felt his own blood pulse downwards, answering with equal arousal. His hips rolled, and Garrus stopped.

"Fuck," the turian answered, more of a mutter, before grinding himself against Kaidan. "Fuck you." He nipped at Kaidan's lips, hard enough to bruise. He didn't let go of Kaidan's wrists as they started to hump each other in earnest, breath turning the air muggy between them.

Kaidan whined. "Dammit," he whispered, legs spreading, bringing one up around Garrus' waist. It had been a month, longer, since he had last been with Shepard. Garrus had not been with either of them for at least two. He would have been groping Garrus if his hands were free. "Let me go."

Garrus squeezed his wrists. "And what will happen if I do, Alenko?" he crooned, his teeth pressing against Kaidan's ear. "You slam me to the ground again? Put me in stasis?"

"Tried that already, remember?" he groaned. "Door's locked."

Garrus sighed, pulling back, and letting go of Kaidan's arms. In retaliation, the human slid his hand down Garrus' pants. "No condoms, no lube, or antihistamines." He wrapped his fingers around Garrus' erection, listening to the turian hiss and mew in pleasure. He felt Garrus' thick fingers return the favor. "But I think we can manage."

"Damn right."

Neither of them noticed the discrete camera in the right corner on the darkened ceiling.

~*~*~*~*~

"You'll make sure he gets the presents, right, Liara?" Tali asked, swaying back and forth, more than a little drunk. "Because... because this is Shepard nar Normandy and we're _good_ aunties, except for Legion. But Legion's not gendered, because they're geth so I guess they _could_ be aunties and... We can't be there." She stamped her foot. "Damn Alliance!"

Legion's plates flexed, before turning towards Liara. "We would also like to send along our good will, and we will also help Creator Tali'Zorah to her ship." They then placed a neat, very geth-like piece of technology on the table. "And we understand it to be human custom to present gifts for new parents. We would like to participate in this cultural practice."

Jack cleared her throat. She had been doing shots, but holding her liquor one hell of a lot better than Tali. "Yeah. Never been to one of these parties myself, but..." She plunked down a bag. "Just make sure they get it."

Liara nodded, before her omni-tool beeped. She glanced down at it, a view screen coming up. No one could see what was on the holo-screen from behind... but a look of shock, then a scowl flashed over her face.

"Is something wrong?" Samara asked. 

Liara paused, struggling but not succeeding to regain control of her flustered face. "There's... been a break-in at my apartment," Liara replied, quickly shutting down her omni-tool's view screen. "I need to go."

"Hey, we can come," said Jack, nodding at Samara. She sounded almost stone cold sober. "Kicking some ass would be the perfect way to get this party started."

"The perpetrators are already gone," Liara replied hastily, biting her lip. "Looks like they just tripped the alarms." She sighed, crossed her arms. "I'm sorry that this party was a disappointment. I'll let you know what I find out about Garrus and Kaidan." She sighed, and excused herself. "The doors will lock when you leave. I'll take care of the mess." She nodded towards the party favors, the glitter, streamers, lights and the presents. "I hope we meet again."

She walked out without a backwards glance. 

A few moments later, Liara maneuvered her sky car to the landing pad before her old apartment, exhaling as she parked. She got out, taking slow, hesitant steps toward her old door. She brought up the security feeds on her omni-tool, lips pulled taut. On the viewer she saw Kaidan on top of Garrus as their rubbed their cocks together, groaning and swearing in passion.

She cut the feed, took a deep breath and powered the door back up, unlocking it. Then she got back into her car and left.  
To be continued.  
Comments, questions and criticisms welcomed and encouraged.


	2. Doll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did I mention this story started life as a kink meme self-fill? Yeah. That's where this came from. And I had it ready to go. Next part will probably take longer and be more plotty.

  
**To Terms**

Part Two

Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts, not me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Warnings: adult language and situations, mentions of dub-con and non-con, mpreg, sexual situations, threesomes, gender-bending and birth. 

Characters/ pairings: Colonist War Hero Paragade ManShep/Kaidan/Garrus, others mentioned.

Summary: The Reapers are here, and amidst that backdrop, Commander Shepard struggles with gathering allies, caring for his child and fighting for his sanity. 

Notes: This chapter is a bit PWP, because... um. Yeah? Did I mention this story started life as a kink meme fill?

~*~*~*~

The Illusive Man sat in his office, a sadistic smile playing over his lips, one of his favorite cigarettes dangling between his fingers. He had just received a report; a report that had been a long time in coming. 

He was in his sanctum, the glassy floor reflecting the glory of his dying star. Endless displays oscillated behind and around him, giving him reports from across the galaxy. But only one interested him, open and scrolling.

"So," he asked, taking a long drag of the Earth grown tobacco. "He's ready?" 

"Yes," Kai Leng answered. "Do you want him now?"

"He should be field tested before we send him out, don't you agree?" the Illusive Man asked, his smile turning to a smirk as he got to his feet. "And now is as good a time as any. When can you get him here?"

"The lab will have him ready to leave in about twenty minutes. I'll have him to your office in five," Leng responded. 

"Good," the Illusive Man, formerly known as Jack Harper, murmured. With a gesture, images of a legend scattered across his displays. Extranet reports, holo images, tabloid gossip; if it was related to Commander Shepard, it was in his database. 

The man's history was interesting, to say the least. Genetically, he was an on-going experiment. Jack had to admit the idea had merit, but it wasn't something that could be maintained over the long run. Though he had one or two of his own people look into a way of making the project more viable. Yet still... The possibilities were... _intriguing_. 

There were reports of the surviving Mindoir breeders being delectable lovers. Their pheromones made attraction hard to resist, and even before the Illusive Man had heard about the odd Mindoir experiments, he had found Shepard to be fascinating. The man's will was a force of nature, and with the luck to back it up. He had a knack for being in the right place, at the right time, able to make the best decision. Yet his pedigree was nothing special. His parents were ex-Alliance, from common stock. His genetic tampering was extensive but quite unlike Miranda's; Shepard's was to be a contribution to a community. Miranda's was an egotist's vanity project to create a perfect female version of himself. 

So he was a great warrior and strategist despite his modifications, rather than because of them.

Jack snorted, spreading his knees as far apart as he could, looking at Shepard's holo as his assistant brought in a glass of scotch. The man had caused Cerberus no end of trouble. 

Taking a glass, he flipped to an image of Shepard without his clothes. There were certainly plenty of images from where he had been inspected during the Lazarus project. They were very complete. Very detailed.

Jack's mouth watered, taking the offered glass of scotch and dismissing the assistant with a wave of the hand. She turned smartly on one heel, shoes clicking across the polished floor. He didn't even take a moment to appreciate her attractiveness. 

Oh, yes, he was going to enjoy this. 

He reached between his legs, teasing his half-hard erection through the fine fabric of his suit as Kai Leng arrived, leash tugging at the dazed form behind him.

"Here he is. I trust he meets with your specifications?" his operative asked, crossing his arms. Kai Leng had been his most trusted hand for years, no matter what Miranda might have thought. He had been forced to maintain a certain _decorum_ with her, one that he could dispense with Leng. Still, Jack could hear the faint edge of disapproval in Leng's voice. 

"This isn't about you," Jack said, standing up to circle the form on the other end of the leash, collared, dressed in Cerberus fatigues. 

Commander Shepard stood there, his green eyes dull in his slack face. He made no move to fight the leash or the collar, instead holding stone still, eyes fixed on the floor. 

"No... this is about satisfying my curiosity," the Illusive Man said, returning to the front. He took another sip of his glass. "Aren't you afraid, Shepard?"

The form before him gave a small tremor, nostrils flaring as his lips pressed together. He looked away, green eyes fixing on the star in the background. 

"No, you look at _me_ , Shepard," Jack insisted, grabbing his chin and forcing his face back towards his. "I want you to see who, and what, you've angered." HIs smile turned faint but cruel. "And now, I want you to strip."

Shepard's back straightened, shoulders set, fists clenched, before he reached towards his waistband. The Illusive Man's smile grew, stepping back to his chair and lifting an eyebrow as Shepard unbuckled his belt, pulling it free with a rasp of leather on cloth, dropping it to the ground. This was followed by Shepard's shirt, tugged up and over his shoulders then head as Leng removed the leash, but left the collar. 

Shepard's nipples were large, larger than was typical on a human male, almost as large as a woman's. From what the Illusive Man had discovered in his research into the Breeders, they functioned identically to a woman's, and were far more sensitive. Designed to be attractive to men who would usually be put off by the male form. They tightened and crinkled in the cool air of Jack's office, coming to points. 

Or was it merely from the cold? 

When Shepard's hands slowed, clumsy from shaking, Jack leaned forward, resting his chin on his fist. 

"Leng, do help the Commander. I think he's a bit embarrassed." He took one more swig of his scotch and chuckled. "Though I think it's due to more than being caught with his pants down."

To the Illusive Man's disappointment, when Kai Leng reached forward to open then shuck Shepard's pants he was soft, his penis hanging limply between his legs. 

Even as a full male, his penis had been more thick than long, but only average in size. It was a shade or two darker than the rest of his olive skin, even if he was pale from being on ships for years. 

"Hm. I have to admit, I'm disappointed. Two excellent examples of human masculinity before you and you're even the least bit interested? The scientists told me you wouldn't be able to help yourself," Jack murmured, getting back to his feet and putting down his scotch. "Or... perhaps its environmental?" He paused, noticing the faint breeze from the air ventilation making his hair stir. He walked up to Shepard, who was standing with his hands over his crotch.

"Maybe you just need to be closer to the source?" he asked, stepping in. He put one smooth hand on Shepard's face, tracing his jaw before brushing his lips against the other man's. 

Shepard tried to pull away, jerking his head back but Jack clutched the back of his head, holding him still before taking Shepard's bottom lip between his teeth, sucking at the soft, plump flesh. Shepard made a faint, almost inaudible, whimper. The muscles in his neck and shoulders relaxed, and his mouth opened for the Illusive Man's to plunder. 

And plunder he did, his tongue conquering the breeder's mouth, dropping his hands from the back of Shepard's head to the smooth, velvety skin covering the well developed muscles. His body yielded to the Illusive Man, knowing it had been captured and conquered, his stance spreading as Jack's hands slid down Shepard's back and to his round, firm ass. 

He squeezed, delighting in the feel of Shepard's skin and muscles, his rich taste and heady scent. His cock hardened, blood heading to his groin in a rush that made him dizzy, light-headed, almost losing his control.

He pulled back, eyes wide with a grin as Shepard tried to follow, a needy whine the only sound in the room as the Illusive Man stepped back towards his chair. 

"I'm pleased, Shepard," he said. He felt a certain greedy satisfaction at the hardness jutting out from between Shepard's legs, and the shine of slick down his right thigh. "You're as much of a needy slut as those vids suggested."

Shepard's eyes shone with defiance at those words, but his body screamed his want for the galaxy to see: lips slick and swollen, eyes heavy-lidded, nipples pointing out from his flushed skin. 

"Oh, yes, I admit I enjoyed watching you try to deny Zaeed," the Illusive Man purred. "But he was as... persuasive... as I ever could have hoped. You put on quite show."

"I admit I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't whore yourself out to me earlier," the Illusive Man went on. "I mean, isn't that what good little whores _do_? I was such a _good_ sugar daddy. I feel I deserve a little consideration." In the background, he saw Leng shifting, his face flushing. Humiliating Shepard was turning him on. "And look what you've done my best operative. I don't see why we can't all get what we want here."

For the first time, Shepard spoke. 

"And what do we want?" he rasped, licking his lips. The wetness between his legs was dripping on to the floor. 

"You want to orgasm, obviously. We can give you want you want, what your body craves; a superior offspring. Both Leng and I are genetically compatible, superior specimens. Either of us would be excellent sires. Far better than your simpering sentinel. You can't even breed with your turian. All he can do is fuck you. Fruitlessly."

"And what do _you_ want?" Shepard whispered, cheeks flushed, eyes dilated.

"To see you on your knees, begging for us to treat you like a fuck toy. After all, you did throw my generosity back in my face." The Illusive Man crossed his legs, throwing himself backwards in his chair. "I gave you _everything_. The Normandy, the people on it, the equipment, _your life_. All of it was _mine_. Then you threw it in my face."

He unzipped his pants. "Come here."

Shepard hesitated, then did so, walking stiff legged towards the Illusive Man, breathing ragged.

"Touch yourself. Tits first. I've observed that they're very, very sensitive."

Shepard lifted his hands, exposing his groin, up to his red and flushed chest to scrape at the buds, giving them a small stroke and tug. His wretched moan echoed in the silence, knees shaking as he did so. 

"Move down your chest, slowly. Trace your abs. Leng, do you want to grope that ass?" Jack licked a drip of scotch off his glass. "Get your dick wet then try it out."

Leng's smile was harsh, stripping off his jacket and doffing his weapons. "As you command," he said, walking up behind Shepard and spreading his legs further, gloved fingers twisting as they pushed inside Shepard's pussy. "Hm. Much tighter than I would have expected."

"His cunt is still new, Leng. We can't expect it to have been stretched _that_ much," the Illusive Man answered, pulling out his own dick, watching as Shepard's hands drifted lower and lower, just above his cock-

Before yelping when Leng grabbed his hips, tight enough to bruise, thrusting inside his snatch a few times, getting himself slick before pulling out. Leng spread his ass cheeks, aiming his dick at the pucker and slamming inside. 

The Illusive Man chuckled as Shepard stumbled forwards, hands on the arms of his chair. 

"And now, I need a little attention." He pulled his cock out, giving it a stroke. "Your mouth, if you will. We don't want to give what you want until we have had our fill, do we?"

Shepard nodded, Leng shifting his grip back to Shepard's hips and guiding him to his knees. That soft, warm mouth breathed down on his erection, lips encircling the head. His tongue flicked at the slit.

The Illusive Man lifted an eyebrow, grabbing Shepard's short black hair and forcing his head down, listening to Shepard choke as his nose was buried in the Illusive Man's short, wiry curls. "I wanted a blow job, Shepard, not a tease." He kept a hold of Shepard's hair, pushing and pulling his head back and forth. He felt Shepard relax his throat, jaw going slack as he moved his head back and forth. "You like that, don't you?" he growled, voice going rough as lust, and the man's clever tongue, made him start to lose control.

Leng's hips slapped against Shepard's ass cheeks, slapping them and making the Illusive Man groan when Shepard whined. "This is where you belong, Shepard," the ex-N7 hissed. "On your knees, serving your betters." He slapped Shepard's ass again, before reaching up his body for his neck, fingers teasing with a choke hold. 

Shepard squealed.

"Now, now, Leng. We don't want to kill him yet." He jerked Shepard's head away. "Want to try his mouth? I'm sure he would be happy to clean you up with his tongue."

Shepard grimaced in pain as Leng pulled out, stepping towards his head and grabbing Shepard's ears to push his face into his groin.

"Shepard," the Illusive Man warned, and grinned in satisfaction as he turned his body towards Leng, tongue lashing out to lick Leng's cock and balls. Good.

"Sit in my lap, Shepard," he ordered, lifting the other man up towards him, his wet cock rubbing up against Shepard's pussy lips but not going inside. He reached for Shepard's own half-hard erection, teasing it with his fingers. "Isn't this better? Two dominant human men, giving you what you need?" He twisted, feeling Shepard shift in his lap, straining for his cock. He waved Leng away, listening to Shepard gag and spit the taste of shit out of his mouth. "You want us both, don't you?"

Nod.

"You want to feel us both, stretching you out?"

Nod.

"Our cum giving you that big belly you need?"

His face was red, shamed, as he swallowed and nodded again. 

The Illusive Man chuckled, pulling Shepard back, slowly pressing into Shepard's hot, aching channel. Shepard closed his eyes, a look of bliss on his face. Then the Illusive Man leaned Shepard back against his chest, putting his hands under Shepard's knees.

"Care to join me, Leng?"

"Of course," the assassin purred, his smile wicked as he aimed his dick towards Shepard's cunt. Both men heard Shepard hiss in pain as he slid inside, and the Illusive Man arched his back at the friction. 

"This is how you should have stayed, Shepard," he said, watching Shepard's face as it contorted in pain and pleasure, feeling him stretch to the point of tearing. "My bitch."

"My bitch, my puppet." He sped up, continued slapping and he shuddered in pleasure Leng's hard erection moved against his. "Bearer of my seed." His hands gripped Shepard's shoulders, working their way up to his neck. He could feel Leng's hips stutter, face contorting as he was about to come. "You're a fool, Shepard. The best contribution you can make to humanity..."

Leng's face contorted, turning red as he pulled out, jerking at his cock to finish himself off. 

"Is being nothing but my broodmare." He pushed Shepard off of him, listening to him mew in disappointment as both men tugged themselves to completion.

"And you really think I'm going to give you want you want, Shepard?" the Illusive Man snapped as Shepard bowed his head, on his hands and knees as he sobbed with thwarted lust. The Illusive Man came, then, splattering his seed on Shepard's face and head. 

Then he reached for Shepard's face, taking both sides of his head and wrenching it to the side. A loud crack filled the silent room as Leng came over the still body on the floor. 

Silence filled the vast, mirrored chamber as both Leng and the Illusive Man calmed, breathing slowing as they stared down at the body on the floor. 

"Was that a wise idea?" Leng asked, taking Shepard's discarded shirt to clean himself up. "You might have damaged it."

The Illusive Man snorted in disgust before taking the accompanying pants wiping the cum from his fingers. "Core´, resume standard operating procedures," he ordered.

The body on the floor shift, the false skin over metal frame transforming back into that of a breathtakingly beautiful woman, almost the equal to Miranda. She sat up, eyes dull and uninterested. 

"Did I please you?" she asked, head twisted back into position. "I ran the scenario as you requested."

"You did." He sat down in his chair, tucking himself back in his pants and then lighting a cigarette. "And you took direction well. You _almost_ felt like the real thing. Now go clean yourself up. You still have more... field testing, to do."

Without a word, the infiltration unit stood. Her body was still splattered with the semen of the two men.

Kai Leng quickly tucked himself in and refastened his clothes. "Pity about Lawson," he said, as the Illusive Man brought back up the monitors. There was a live feed from the real Shepard's room; sitting and reading, one hand over his growing belly. He looked up, not at the camera, but in surprise as he rubbed on the right side of his body and opened his mouth to speak. A moment later, James Vega came in. Shepard's face was soft, happy, but a little exasperated as he took Vega's hand and placed it where he had been feeling; the fetus was kicking, apparently.

"She should have given you children."

"She would have agreed, if she had been able to bear them herself," the Illusive Man said, with a shrug, covering up a grimace. "But she could not. Even if our genes together would have created a superlative human being."

Both men watched Shepard a moment longer before dismissing the feed. 

"Our plans are nearly in place."

"Good. I need to study its exposure to indoctrination. Shepard appears unaffected, but that fetus..?"

Leng nodded, gather and holstering his weapons.

"You want me to kill it?"

"No. I won't waste a potentially valuable asset. When the time comes, cut it out of Shepard and then leave him to die."  
To be continued  
Questions, comments and criticisms desired and encouraged.


	3. Discomfort

To Terms  
Part Three  


Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts, not me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Warnings: adult language and situations, mentions of dub-con and non-con, mpreg, sexual situations, threesomes, gender-bending and birth. 

Characters/ pairings: Colonist War Hero Paragade ManShep/Kaidan/Garrus, others mentioned.

Summary: The Reapers are here, and amidst that backdrop, Commander Shepard struggles with gathering allies, caring for his child and fighting for his sanity.

~*~*~*~*~

"So, you heard from Grunt lately?" Kaidan asked, his extra fingers scratching his nails over the rough bristles on his face, making a funny raspy noise, one that was loud enough to get Garrus' attention.

Garrus glanced up and over at Kaidan, his golden eyes, then his soft face, and noted how he had changed. There was more gray in the black on Kaidan's cheeks and scalp than he remembered, from just two months ago. There were more creases in the skin around his eyes, too. Then again, he could only imagine how he himself looked, with a quarter of his face covered in gnarled scars. He'd noticed that his own plates were getting thinner, less flexible just that morning. He had then promptly looked away from the mirror. Seeing your own age was never fun.

Garrus paused, assessed the question, and decided to respond with a human gesture: a shrug. Then glanced down at his pile of data-pads.

"Sort of. Last I heard, he was being promoted to the head of Aralakh company. Looks like Wrex is trying to put together a team to facilitate cooperation between clans. If this report is right," and neither had any reason to think it wasn't, as the Shadow Broker had provided it, "he's doing a pretty good job keeping the internal conflicts down. Shepard's influence, perhaps?"

Kaidan grunted, then smiled a bit, and flexed his jaw to mimic a turian mandible flap. "He certainly didn't get it from those tank imprints. Can we get in contact with him? He and Wrex both know the Reapers are on their way, and we're all screwed if we aren't prepared."

"I'll give it a shot when I've gone back to Palaven," Garrus promised. He rolled his head, looking around to give his eyes a chance to rest. They were sitting in a small, rented suite on the Citadel. Despite the cost, Kaidan kept having to realign himself ever so often as the roller ball on the bottom teased at coming off. Garrus' chair squeaked every time he moved, and there was no decor to speak of besides a limp salarian houseplant in the corner of the office section. Still, there was a reason for choosing such a Spartan space: it was easy to sweep for bugs.

After their rather violent reunion/brawl/fuck the two men had come to their senses. Both had been curious as to what was going on. After all, the door had not just been locked, it had been _unpowered_ , and Liara's apartment had clearly been uninhabited for some time.

They had tried to compare notes afterwards, when the afterglow had worn off and they noticed the power had been restored. The location of Liara's meeting had been removed from both their omni-tools, something that had genuinely unnerved Garrus until Kaidan had dropped his bombshell:

Liara was the new Shadow Broker. 

"So, yeah," Kaidan muttered, when he had checked his own omni-tool. "If she doesn't want us to keep those things, I'm pretty sure we won't." 

That had not been reassuring. Any attempts to contact her afterwards had been difficult at best, useless flailing at worst. So far, their requests for info on the rest of Shepard's crew and specialists had been answered but nothing beyond a "you misread my directions" email when they had tried to get hold of her personally.

Kaidan had been leery of going directly to Hagalaz, and had said so. But they had taken the time to speak afterwards, and had come to the conclusion that everyone going their separate ways after the Normandy was impounded was really... _really_... stupid.

"Looks like Mordin's disappeared into the STG's black hole," Kaidan said, fingers flickering as he scrolled over his datapad. "No idea what he's doing. One thing I can tell you is that he's not back on Omega. My team went there a few weeks ago. Tried talking to T'loak, but she wasn't that happy about having an Alliance spec ops squad there. But I promised not to break her one rule," and Kaidan snorted. "And she left me alone."

"Hm. Taylor stayed on Earth," Garrus added. He rearranged his weight. He was getting to the point he could anticipate the note in which his chair would squeak. He leaned back and bounced once. Almost got the tune to _Vaenia_ there. "At least for awhile. He's tried to go off-grid, too. Not sure if we should get hold of him. He's a good soldier, but if he's drawn fire from the Illusive Man..."

"Yeah." Kaidan's chair finally gave up the ghost, the ball rolling out from under the chair and Kaidan caught himself a second before it would have spilled him into the floor. "Shit." He sighed, and started pacing as he read his readouts. "He was a good man. I hope that he's not in too much trouble."

"I haven't gotten wind of any kill squads after him, and he's able to handle himself," Garrus said, also getting up. They had been at this for hours, now. "He wasn't the same kind of investment that Miranda was. She's the one I'm worried about."

"I've not found hide or hair of her," Kaidan answered. "Neither has the Broker." Garrus paused, his translator fumbling through the translation, but then he flared his mandibles.

"Well, if the Broker can't find her, than neither can the Illusive Man," he said. He was getting tired, and a lot frustrated. Not to mention bored. 

"Thane's in the hospital on the Citadel. His doctor's given him a few more months... right before we went on the suicide mission," Garrus went on. Kaidan was looking away, pursing his lips. Garrus rather liked Kaidan's lips, watching them as he continued to speak. 

"When I contacted him, he gave me some of his old contacts. But he's not fit for any fighting now."

"Hmm." Kaidan leaned against the wall. "Tali's back with the Fleet, and when I spoke to her she said she would try to get the Migrant Fleet moving in the right direction. You've gotten hold of Legion?"

"I tried. Got a rather... _strange_... message asking if Shepard appreciated the present. Wasn't quite sure what they meant." Garrus walked over to Kaidan. Watched his body language, his lips and hips and the way he crossed his arms and closed his eyes. "Had any luck getting in to see him?"

"No," Kaidan whispered, his own voice taut. "Every single fucking time-"

"And they don't even bother talking to me," Garrus muttered. His plates tightened, rubbing against each other. He didn't want to go down this path right now, not again. He needed a distraction.

Kaidan kept his eyes closed, before straightening and stretching, turning back towards his chair to find the stupid chair wheel.

He bent over.

Garrus took that as an invitation. 

Walking up behind Kaidan, he thrust his hips forward against the human's ass, wrapping his arms around Kaidan's chest to haul him upwards. 

The next thing Garrus knew, he was slapped up against the far wall, breath knocked out of him- again.

"Shit- Garrus- what the hell?" Kaidan yelped, dropping Garrus to the ground. "I- shit. Are you all right?" he asked, walking over and kneeling before him. "I- damn it."

"Yeah." Garrus shook his head, and he thought he heard something rattle for a moment. His back was sore, but Kaidan (both of them? He tried to uncross his eyes.) "Remind me to never come up from behind you again-"

"Uh... yeah. Good idea. What the hell was that?" Kaidan's hands tightened into fists as he started poking Garrus to check for injuries. Garrus almost swatted him away, but remembered that Kaidan had been, and still was, a good field medic.

Garrus shook his head again before replying. Damn, Kaidan could hit like a krogan. "A poor attempt at seduction."

"Oh." Gold eyes met his, a red flush working its way up Kaidan's face. "Um. Okay." He sat on the floor across from, but his eyes darted to the side. "If you wanted to take a break, why didn't you say so?"

"I was working my way up to it."

"Right." Kaidan finished checking Garrus, then got to his feet, offering Garrus a hand up. "Just... I don't like being grabbed, y'know? Brings back some bad memories. I tend to react first, think later."

Garrus felt his plates move, pausing. "Kaidan-"

"No. Not right now." He finished hauling Garrus to his feet, taking his hands. 

"But really-"

"Come on, Garrus." Kaidan took his hands, then turned him around to push him on the bed. "I could use a break, too."

~*~*~*~*~

"Why the hell did you do that?" Derek snarled, hauling himself to his feet and waddling towards Anderson. The man, who was standing just in the doorway of his suite-slash-detention cell, took a step backwards.

Up until a few moments ago, Derek had been sure that there was at least one sane Council member on the Citadel. That there was at least one person out there trying to keep building their defenses. Someone who believed him.

"Because I made a mistake, Shepard." Anderson sounded stoic, tired. "Because I tried to get evidence and lost my 'impartiality.' I broke their rules, and I paid for it." The former Captain, now promoted to Admiral, wasn't meeting Derek's eyes. Instead, his gaze was on Derek's middle. More like staring. 

Derek's belly had finally popped out, it's roundness obvious through the thinness of his t-shirt. It wasn't large yet, but it was nonetheless _there_ , and Anderson's eyes had fixed on it almost as soon as he had come into the room.

Derek wasn't too surprised. James stared at it, too. But at least when they were there, it was _company_. He hadn't realized how bad the isolation would be. 

"But _Udina?_ " He was almost screeching. The mood swings had been getting more and more fierce in the past weeks, as the hole in his bedroom wall could attest. "He stabbed us both in the back with Sovereign and the geth!"

"And he's the most politically connected human on the Citadel." Anderson took his cap off, slapping it in his hands. "Which I was stupid enough to let him have." Anderson sighed. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I wish I had done more."

Derek shook his head, rubbing his face, sitting in the chair at his desk with a groan. His back, feet, neck ached, even after a day of doing little besides reading, exercising, and reading some more. There _had_ been a gynecological exam earlier, but he was doing his best to forget about it. Doctor Reiner made him uneasy. Not to mention he was also... handsy.

"I know you did your best," Derek admitted, before he stopped and blinked. His little bean was shifting inside him, reminding him that while he lacked adult company he was never alone. 

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Derek said. He sighed. "The bean's been active."

Anderson tangled his fingers together. "Has it now?"

"Yes. I think 'jumping bean' is a pretty accurate nickname," Derek answered. "Not kicking yet-"

"Can I touch?" Anderson said, before standing back. He looked embarrassed, but he had the same look of curiosity burning him alive that James sometimes did. "I know, I mean-"

"Go ahead."

Derek leaned back, moving his hands and arms away from his middle, then smiled at what he saw. Anderson, the first N7 graduate and honored hero, almost-Spectre and first Human Councilor, was reaching towards Derek's belly like he was afraid he was going to be burned. When he did finally touch Derek's belly, it was in stages. First tips, sliding over Derek's t-shirt before his broad, calloused palms cupped almost the entirety.

There was a look of amazement on Anderson's face, lips open and eyes wide. 

"Did you expect a chest buster? Bean to come clawing out?" Derek asked, amused. He shifted in his seat to ease the soreness in his back and shoulders. He put his own smaller hands over Anderson's, pressing it to where he was sure to have felt Bean last.

It was low, towards the bladder. The wiggles and flutters had gotten stronger as of late. In fact, he hoped that soon he would feel a good, strong-

"I felt it," Anderson said, lips and tongue tripping over themselves in surprise and delight. "God, I felt it."

"Him," Derek corrected quietly. "I found out the sex this morning."

"Congratulations." Anderson knelt down, eyes level with Derek's chest. "Be nice to your mum, will you, son? He's been through a lot." He rubbed Derek's belly, wonder still plain on his face. 

"Daddy, please. Or Papa. Something male-gendered." Derek sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. The muscles were starting to jump as they tied up in a knot. "I'm still a guy."

Anderson nodded, taking and squeezing Derek's hand. Derek squeezed back; he was reluctant to let go and have this meeting end. His contact with the outside was so little, and he _missed_ his lovers, his crew, his friends. He hadn't realized how bad the isolation would be. And while James was a good baby-sitter, it wasn't the same. No more outrageous recreational flirting with Kelly. No ridiculous conversations on obscure comic book trivia with Kaidan. No Garrus to talk strategy with. No Mordin's unique observations, or Samara's tales, or Thane's flashbacks. No Grunt to mentor. No rambling Tali.

He hadn't felt this alone since his family had died. Or when... (No, not that then, never then, he would not let himself get sucked into thinking about _then_.)

The books and literature had mentioned, several times, how many women felt like they were going through a second puberty when they were pregnant. That they often experienced an increase in libido when they were expecting, and that their lovers should prepare themselves for it. Derek had scoffed. After the out of control need of his heats, surely this couldn't be as bad?

He hated being wrong.

"Are you all right?" Anderson asked. His pale eyes met Derek's. 

"I feel like one massive cramp." Shepard rubbed the back of his neck. "I've been through pain before, but it was... My own body didn't turn against me during any of my training, Anderson. It's not mine anymore."

"Yes it is, Shepard." Anderson stood, walking over and placing those warm, heavy hands on Derek's shoulders. Strong fingers started to knead at the ugly knots at the base of Derek's neck. "But most pregnant wo- people, if they're lucky, have someone to help them out. Why the hell haven't you gotten Vega in here to rub your feet? We told him to take care of you."

Derek burst out laughing, which turned into a belly deep moan of appreciation as he dropped his head to the desk and clenched his fists. His cock wasn't quite so interested, but his pussy turned hot and moist; the exact reasons why he didn't want James touching him. 

"Because if I do that, I'll be begging James for a lay within ten minutes," Derek mumbled into the table. Anderson's hands jerked away as if burned. "It's not like before, when I was having heats. But damn if I'm not always... It's like being a teenager again." Derek sighed in regret as Anderson leaned away. 

Vega was keeping guard, outside the suite. "Why don't you?" Anderson took a seat, hands in his lap. "I won't lie and tell you that wasn't part of the reason we picked him as your guard. He's young, handsome, and he admires you. He's also, apparently, hung like a horse." 

This time it was Derek's jaw that dropped. "What?"

"We weren't blind to your needs, Shepard. We've known that there would be complications if your gene mods ever came to fruition. We _were_ hoping they never would. You are one hell of an investment for the Alliance, Shepard." At Derek's grimace, Anderson sighed. "I've never regretted it, nor has Hackett. You're a great soldier despite the mods." Anderson took a turn to grimace. "When I last spoke to Alenko, he mentioned you needing 'someone ethical' as a guard. Vega has an excellent reputation."

"He... did, did he? What else did he say?" All the blood drained from Derek's face.

"Nothing more than that, but, given what we know of the Mindoir mods, I can make a few guesses." Anderson put his hands over Shepard's. "We were going to put James with you and let nature take its course. I take it you object?"

"Outside of having two good men I care about already? He's a good man, a good soldier. He doesn't need an affair with me staining his career. Plus... he's named _James_ , Anderson. And he's about the same age as..." Derek trailed off, choked. "As Jimmy would be if he had-"

The tears came hot and swift and humiliating, out of nowhere. "I see why most marines usually take maternity leave early on. Dammit."

Anderson squeezed his hands. "You're pregnant. I'm not going to hold it against you. But you break down like this on a mission and you bet your ass I'd give you a beat down like you'd never seen before." He paused. "And I know this is something you won't want to hear, or ask... but, after what Alenko implied? Do you want us to find a counselor for you? People who come near death have scars, and there is no shame in it. You did what no one else could have, Shepard. You saved the galaxy, you saved countless human colonies, and bought us time to prepare for the Reapers, even died and came back to life. You've earned the right to some healing."

"I do that and the brass will never allow me near a command post again." Derek leaned back. He felt choked. "But then, after working with Cerberus and after what happened in the Bahak systems... my career is pretty much shit. Hell, after Bahak? I probably deserve it." He covered his face with his hands. 

"Shepard," Anderson began, then stopped. He got to his feet. "I'll come by later to talk. Rest, take care of yourself." He deliberately walked over, and placed a hand on Derek's belly. "And your son." He squeezed Shepard's shoulder. "You can do this. Don't doubt that."

Then he turned around and left.

To be continued.

Questions, comments and criticisms welcomed and appreciated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long- this is extra content I had not written earlier, and thus it took longer to write. Merry Christmas!


	4. Kidnapped

  
**To Terms**  
Part Four

Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts, not me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Warnings: adult language and situations, mentions of dub-con and non-con, mpreg, sexual situations, threesomes, gender-bending and birth. 

Characters/ pairings: Colonist War Hero Paragade ManShep/Kaidan/Garrus, others mentioned.

Summary: The Reapers are here, and amidst that backdrop, Commander Shepard struggles with gathering allies, caring for his child and fighting for his sanity.

~*~*~*~*~

_Derek smiled; it had been a long time since he had heard children laughing._

_He heard his brothers laugh, the babies played as he cuddled the boy to his chest, a book balanced on one knee. Small birds chirped, the cows mooing on the other side of the fence as he stroked his fingers through the boy's short hair. He heard a sigh as the boy cuddled closer._

_"It's nice here," the child whispered._

_"It is," Derek agreed. He shifted his weight. His back was stiff, sore, but he felt so content he didn't want to move. "I have a lot of good memories of this place."_

_The boy buried his face in Derek's neck. "I don't want to leave yet."_

_The sun was still warm on their faces, laughter filling the distance. Derek looked down into the boy's dull blue eyes. "You don't have to go." There was no cold wind, no shrill screams. Nothing threatened this moment. He relaxed further when he saw Jane approaching._

_"I don't have any choice. Neither do you."_

_"But it feels like you just got here," Derek protested, arms tightening around the child, chin against his head. "I'll protect you."_

_The boy didn't make a move to leave, just tried to burrow into Derek's chest as he tightened his arms further as a shadow crossed his vision._

_Jane was there, but not the Jane he remembered._

_She was tall, adult, red hair ragged over a face streaked with glowing red scars and clad in dented N7 armor. Hellish eyes narrowed at him as she drew her Carnifax._

_The boy was gone, and Derek tried to scramble up, back and away. His belly was too big and heavy for him to move._

_Jane smiled, before kneeling in front of him, taking him in. Eight months pregnant, chest tender and stomach swollen, he couldn't move fast even if he tried. Vulnerable. Helpless. "Jane..?"_

_She put one finger over his lips, shushing him. His mind struggled to understand as she covered his eyes with one hand, the cold muzzle of the Carnifax pressing against his skin. Not against his head. His belly._

_"I'm keeping my promise."_

_Then she pulled the trigger._

~*~*~*~*~

Derek woke up as something snapped inside him, making him gasp and yelp as hot fluid soaked his pants.

Shepard's first thought was that he had wet himself. The gas had been terrible the past few weeks, and now on top of that, he couldn't control his bladder. He tried to sit up, throw off his blanket and see if he could clean himself before Vega came in to see what happened.

That was when he had his second thought. That was to realize he was surrounded by goons in black, gold and white armor.

The third, was that his water had broken. He was in labor. And he had no idea where he was.

Shit.

~*~*~*~*~

"Lieutenant Vega," a voice said, and James felt the world start to swim back to focus. "Vega, can you hear me?"

James nodded, blinking bleary eyes as the world lurched and staggered as he sat up. Blood and sweat dripped down his face as he tried to find the speaker, raking his mind for answers. 

"Yeah," he replied, shaking his head, groaning as his stomach lurched. "Yeah." There was a huge hole in the Alliance Medical Wing's hallway that hadn't been there before. His eyes finally focused on the hot chica in front of him, Shepard's obstetrician. The one with the ironic name of 'Doctor Heart.' Sexy as hell, even her high-necked doctor's scrubs couldn't cover _that_ up. Getting to perv on that babe made Shepard's appointments worth it... Only thing better would have been if her accent had been Spanish, not Aussie. "What happened?"

She gave him a dose of medi-gel. "That's what I was trying to find out. Anderson and a squad of Alliance troops are on the way, but you need to tell me everything you remember. If I'm right, we haven't got much time."

James nodded, sitting up. "We were leaving your office after getting Shepard checked out for the, what did you call it, bloody show?" 

Heart nodded. "His cervix was starting to dilate, even if he was only about thirty-six weeks." She was in a squat, and James had to restrain his eyes to her face. He would have loved another look at her ass, even in these circumstances. Still, she looked edgy, holding on to a Predator pistol like her life depended on it; not perving would be a better idea. "The mucus plug had dropped out." She pressed her lips together. "Do you remember anything else?"

"I was walking him out, when he stopped and grunted. I asked him what was wrong, and he said it felt like a cramp." James wiped the blood off his face. He could hear alarms in the distance, felt feet pounding on the cold tiles of the sterile hallway coming closer. Heart held her pistol with comfort and confidence, and James blinked. He had assumed she was just a doctor replacing the asshole who had been poking Shepard and making him uncomfortable. Well, apparently not. 

"Had he done that before?"

"I don't know. How long was I out?"

"I heard the explosion and saw the Cerberus troops. You were unconscious when they took Shepard," she said, sounding ashamed. "I called for security, then hid. There were too many of them for me to take alone, when they had him hostage. So the cramps weren't regular?"

"As far as I knew, yeah?" James wasn't an idiot. "You think those were contractions?"

They were interrupted by Admiral Anderson's arrival. The man himself was already in armor, sending his troops out to secure the area before turning to Heart and himself. "What the sitrep?" he asked, wasting no time.

"Cerberus operatives attacked us on our way back to Shepard's quarters," James said, blinking when Heart offered him a hand to get up. Then he winced; that chica had one helluva grip. "At least, they were in yellow and black. Got a look at one guy: looked to be in charge, Chinese ancestry and limping. Had the other guys do the dirty work while he directed."

To his surprise, an equally unhappy hiss echoed from both Heart and Anderson at the same time. " _Kai Leng._ "

"You know this guy?" First he directed the comment to Anderson, then to Heart, who was rubbing her forehead. 

"Yes," they both answered, then looked at each other. Heart's lips lifted in a humorless smile. "Do you know why Cerberus would come after Shepard _now_?" Anderson asked her. 

"Not for sure, no." Heart crossed her arms. "But needless to say, we need to find them before they get Shepard off world. And the sooner, the better. When I examined him, he was showing early signs of labor, but nothing definitive. And if Kai Leng is involved... well, things just got a whole lot more difficult."

"But if he's still injured?" Anderson said, rubbing his chin. "We can use that." He frowned, thoughtfully. "The man's got an ego. He'll try to fight, even if he's not at his best. He's resourceful, but he's prideful."

"And let's not count out Shepard." James felt he needed to say this. "Because what's more dangerous than a mother bear protecting her cub?"

Anderson snorted, gesturing for both Heart and James to follow. That cinched it; Heart was _definitely_ more than some high-level obstetrician. "An N7 biotic marine pregnant with a child he desperately wants," Anderson replied. "And he really wants this. Come on, let's go."

~*~*~*~*~

Shepard would never be accused of being a good actor. He was, however, gift at bullshit. Particularly when he could mix some truth in with his bullshit. Add in the fact that Cerberus had _not_ been informed of his situation...

He moaned, trying for honesty instead of drama; they had seen his pants after his water had broken two hours ago and he had been playing up his contractions ever since. The result was milling panic as they tried to establish contact with their leader. 

Someone on the Alliance side had done a good job. The space ports were locked down, and there was a search going on of all sky- and ground- transports. This had resulted in the group being split in two; half of the eight body party was left guarding him while the rest looked for a way around after their leader had vanished. All com traffic was either being jammed or monitored; Derek wasn't sure which. If it was monitored, it meant he could call for help. But if it was jammed... it meant if he could take care of these Cerberus assholes and _get away_ -

A contraction, a real one, made him groan and gasp as the muscles of his back and belly bore down. So far the contractions had not felt any worse than a typical menstrual cycle, for him... He wasn't sure what that meant, other than 'find those damn scientists and kill them.' He had not, yet, felt the urge to start pushing. Given that it couldn't have been more than a few hours since his kidnapping, that was probably normal.

He looked up in time to see the four goons around him. "Get Kai Leng on the line!" the apparent leader snapped. One was close. Very close. He had been tied to this chair ever since he had awoken, but not his feet, and-

He tensed, sending a shockwave out to scatter the goons, before tipping himself over and breaking the chair as he pulled himself free. He grabbed the closest one, broke his neck and grabbed his gun before shooting the next goon, dropping her quickly. He yanked the next two with a pull, slapped them to the ground before finishing them both off with a double tap each. 

Then his belly tightened again, making him double over. Closing his eyes, he took a long, deep breath to manage the pain before straightening. His mind flashed to the dream of Jane, and Jane shooting- he grunted again. He still wished she was there.

Didn't matter. He had to get out of there. There was another Cerberus team looking for him, and if these contractions continued to speed up... He needed to go to ground and bunker up. 

Kicking the door open, he waddled out, doing his best to stay out of sight. _Right. Nothing to see here, walking through..._ He looked around, looked to be a warehouse district. _Still in Vancouver. Ignore the pregnant man. Nothing to see here. Nothing to see._

To be continued.

Questions, comments and criticisms welcomed and appreciated.


	5. Alive

  
** To Terms **

Part Five

Disclaimer: Mass Effect belongs to Bioware and Electronic Arts, not me and I make no money from this work of fanfiction at all.

Warnings: adult language and situations, mentions of dub-con and non-con, mpreg, sexual situations, threesomes, gender-bending and birth. 

Characters/ pairings: Colonist War Hero Paragade ManShep/Kaidan/Garrus, others mentioned.

Summary: The Reapers are here, and amidst that backdrop, Commander Shepard struggles with gathering allies, caring for his child and fighting for his sanity.

~*~*~*~*~

Vega, Anderson and Heart found Shepard when they set off a primitive noise trap, barely getting to cover in time when he shot at them from his position at the door of a small apartment in the warehouse district.

"Shepard, stand down, friendlies!" Anderson barked in surprise, pointing his pistol in the air and spreading his hands.

The shot had been close; if Shepard _hadn't_ missed, it would have turned Vega's head into a pulp.

They had been searching, patiently, letting the official rescue operation act as a decoy to keep the remaining Cerberus teams off guard. Heart had been able to crack Cerberus transmissions to find out that Shepard had escaped, and they had found the wreckage of _that_ team. They had tried to calculate where Shepard had gone, but it had still taken three hours for them to find his den. One that had noise traps and jury rigged explosives on every route through the high, cavernous storage bins.

"Over," they heard the N7 gasp, then grunt. "Over here." 

Vega belatedly realized why had Shepard his missed his shot at Vega's head when he had to stop and growl. The muscles of his neck, belly and back were tensing and rippling against his will. It was amazing the man had made it as far as he had. It was just as obvious why he hadn't tried to make it back to Alliance HQ. 

At least he had found a good spot to roost; a small studio apartment that overlooked the warehouse and its maze of containers, and currently unoccupied. It fact, it might have been abandoned for some time. Vega nodded in approval as they trooped up the stairs.

"Shepard, how far apart are the contractions?" Heart asked, all business. "Can you move?"

"About two, three minutes apart," Shepard whispered, raw. "And," his throat convulsed. "No. I can't. Not fast or far enough to be useful."

"We need a medevac," Anderson interrupted. He put an arm around Shepard's waist, slinging one of the man's arm over his shoulder. Shepard allowed it, shifting his weight on to Anderson as another contraction began. 

"Negative." Heart crossed her arms. "This is Kai Leng we're talking about. The odds of his team hacking our communications and finding our location are too high to risk. I think we're stuck for the time being." She sighed, looking around. "Anderson, put Shepard on the couch." When the Admiral did so, she knelt in front of Shepard. "I need to palpate you, then check your cervix. If you're fully dilated then there's no way you're moving." Shepard cut his eyes back to her, nodded, then reached for his waist band.

"Doc, when did you start giving orders?" Vega asked, only half joking. He was a little annoyed about the obvious history here, and that he was being left out.

"Miranda's good at whatever she tries to do, except be an inspiring leader," Shepard answered. He was somehow holding on to his humor despite the situation. James didn't get the joke. "And," he looked up at her with a knowing smile that quickly turned into a grunt, mixed with faint blue glow. "I think she's practicing for when her sister has kids. Am I wrong?" He had closed his eyes, breathing in soft gulps. "And damn I wish I had some pain meds right now."

"You're going to have to bear with it, Shepard. And yes. I want to be there if Oriana decides to have children." Heart murmured, her lips twisted in an ironic smile. "Vega, stand guard. Anderson, you're our designated doula. Get some hot compresses. Shepard, get your pants off."

Vega averted his eyes, wincing when he heard the wet fabric snap and slip off Shepard's hips. He took a position by the door with his assault rifle, fighting the urge to cover his ears while he heard Heart wash her hands. Ignored the sounds of Shepard gasping and grunting whenever a contraction hit him and of Heart checking Shepard.

He shuddered.

"You're fully dilated." Heart didn't sound happy. "You've transitioned to the second stage of labor." She exhaled. "Were you having pains before you came to see me?"

"Cramps?" Shepard was half laughing, half hysterical. "They felt like menstrual cramps. Not even bad ones. Since yesterday."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Vega called back. Like he hadn't taken care of this guy for the past six months. He cared about the rug rat, dammit.

"You have any idea how many cramps I have?" Shepard said, exhaustion dragging at his words. "They never really," he paused to hiss. " _Stopped_. I don't know how women do it."

"It varies." Vega didn't look back, but he could imagine Heart's lush curves and perfect lips as she spoke. Shepard might be some weird half-man, but _that_ chica was all woman. "My own modifications mean that I have very little difficulties with my own cycle. Yours are probably the result of trying to increase your fertility as much as possible."

"Except for..." Another hiss. "Dammit. How long?"

"He's already moving down your pelvis. You should be getting the urge to push soon. Anderson, do you have the compresses?"

"I have them." James heard steps as Anderson came out of the bathroom. "Where?"

"Back and stomach. Shepard, are you up for kneeling or squatting? That should help speed things up," Heart went on. There was more creaking as Shepard moved to kneel, half draped over the small ratty gray couch. The small grunts were getting longer.

Vega risked a glance back, to find Anderson pressing warm towels on Shepard's back while Heart kneaded his shoulders. James wondered if he should have felt embarrassed that the man's pants were discarded on the floor, but no one else seemed to care. James could think of far more stupid reasons to lose his pants.

"Given our lack of medical equipment, you're going to have to listen to your body, Shepard," Heart went on. "Don't push until you feel the urge to. It might take longer but it means less likelihood of tearing when the baby comes out." Her tone turned light. "On the upside, your own upgrades like the heavy skin and muscle weaves mean that the there is even less of a likelihood of tearing and you can get back into shape faster."

"You're all heart, Miranda." There was another grunt, and James swore he heard Shepard's teeth grind together. "God." He was wheezing. "Why the hell did I ever think this was a good idea?"

"Damn if I know," James answered. "Men don't have babies. At least, not the ones I know."

"I think that was a rhetorical question, Vega," Heart said. Anderson made a soft, tapping laugh before changing the towels. They fell into silence for awhile, punctuated by moans, Heart helping Shepard change position and Anderson massaging the man's back and neck. 

"So, Shepard, what's the bean going to call you?" James had taken to using the same nickname Shepard had given his fetus. He rather liked it. "Cause you don't look like a Mama."

"Papa." Shepard said, strained. "Because... I'm still a guy. I _like_ being a guy." He panted, then grunted when he started to push. "Even if I'm," he stopped and moaned. " _Making_ the babies."

"Then why?" James had held back on asking before because it had never seemed like a good time. "I mean, really?"

Shepard shot him a look, and James immediately felt penitent. The man was red faced, sweat pouring down his temples. The tendons of his neck were standing out. "Sex feels good, Vega." Ah, sarcasm. Then he mellowed. "And," he stopped, pushing again. It went on for some time as Anderson held his hand, whispering encouragement in his ear. "I need this." He made a harsh, pained laugh, bitter and sad before pushing again as another contraction bore down on him.

"I needed to feel _alive_ again."

Heart sighed; Vega saw her look away. "You're making great progress, Shepard." Anderson was bracing Shepard as he shifted into a squat. Vega looked away again. "I can feel the head."

Shepard nodded, setting his jaw. "How much longer?" Heart wiped his face with a towel. 

"I can't be sure, but given that you've been pushing for about twenty minutes..?" She checked her omni-tool. "Perhaps forty." She sighed. 

"Vega?" Grunt. Push. Vega just couldn't look anymore.

"Yeah?"

"How's it looking out there?" Shepard asked, before he took a deep breath to push again. 

Vega scanned the entrances and exits, then checked his armor's HUD. "Clear. So far."

"Focus, Shepard," Heart cautioned, when a contraction caught him off guard. "Focus. Let Vega do his job." She wiped down Shepard's red, sweaty face with a towel. "Your bean is almost here. You'll have him, safe, and..." She swallowed. "We'll won't let Cerberus get your bean. We'll protect your bean with our lives."

~*~*~*~*~

Derek had done his homework on birthing. He had made it hard for himself to sleep with the 2185 edition of "What to Expect When You're Expecting." He had asked for all the information available on the handful of surviving Mindoir breeders. Having Miranda show up when his previous asshole obstetrician had been making him uncomfortable had helped his ability to cope mentally, and he had no real fear of pain.

As a result, he wasn't panicking about his body taking over, pushing of its own accord. Most of the less dignified, messy moments had happened before his rescuers had arrived. He wasn't too sorry to lose his pants. 

What had him worried was _why_. And when Vega stiffened, all goofiness dropping from his face and gesturing for Anderson to follow him, Derek found himself swearing and reaching for a pistol.

"I can _feel the head_ , Shepard," Miranda hissed, pressing him back into a squat. "You can't help. Relax, concentrate on Bean." 

"Why are they-" he tensed, pushing again. He couldn't speak through the contractions. "Here? Miranda."

"I'm not sure-" Miranda was cut off by the sound of gunfire, grabbing Shepard under the arms to get him off the couch and into cover. He could barely walk, feeling Bean moving down, dropping back into a squat as they hid behind a wall. 

"They're not getting him," Shepard muttered, but closed his eyes to push again. "Not my son."

"Keep your focus, Shepard." Miranda reached down to check him, biting her perfect lips. "You're almost there." She grabbed her pistol when the door to the apartment started to shake. Derek focused the pain, preparing a biotic attack-

The door shook again, before they both smelled burned circuitry. Derek whined in the back of his throat when he felt Bean's head, huffing and tensing as another contraction clenched his body.

"Crowning," Miranda said, torn between getting a towel under Shepard and watching the door. Which was smoking, sliding open-

Revealing a man who looked to be a cross between a ninja and a cyborg, one hand in the air that glowed with a biotic field. His lips were twisted in a cruel smile under his black mask. He stalked forward, smirking at the sight of Shepard, hunched over and sweating, vulnerable.

Miranda gestured, hitting the man with a powerful overload. It only shorted out part of his shields. Shepard followed that with a reave-

And a grenade hit him from behind, sending a shockwave through the room and knocking the Cerberus assassin to the ground. Miranda and Derek, both in cover, were out of the blast zone.

"How's the legs, Leng?" Anderson boomed as the two soldiers arrived, with assault rifles leveled and firing, forcing Leng's shields to deteriorate further. The assassin hissed, scrambling backwards.

Then he vanished.

"He's got a cloak?" Anderson spat, as both marines formed up in front of Derek.

Derek wasn't paying attention anymore, eyes shut as he breathed, feeling Bean squirm and shift as he gave one last _push_. 

"The head is out!" Miranda snapped, moving to get underneath both Shepard and Bean with a towel. "Fog the room, something! Kill that little bastard while you can!"

Both soldiers started spraying bullets through the room, taking up a position between Miranda and Derek and covering the exit. There was a yowl and a curse and blood appeared in a trail towards the door. Kai Leng was running away. 

"At least the cowardly bastard is staying true to form," Anderson said. He gestured for Vega to take up his post at the door. "Runs away when he's outnumbered and alone. Well, secrecy is out. Let's call for that medevac and get some damn backup." 

Derek only half heard this. The rest of him was concentrating on Miranda, the feeling of Bean coming out, and then the most important sound in the galaxy: a sharp, indignant wail as Bean let everyone in the room know his displeasure at the cold and the noise and the bright.

Then his legs and knees finally gave out as Miranda handed Derek the small, squalling, bloody and pasty white form. He trembled as cold and exhaustion settled through his body, but his arms were messy and warm as Miranda finished wiping Bean's face and nose. Derek barely paid her any attention as she tied off the umbilical cord and cut it with a flare from her omni-tool. 

Anderson knelt beside him, laughing quietly before grabbing and squeezing Shepard's shoulder. "You did good, Shepard." He sounded almost as hysterical as Derek felt. "He's got one hell of a set of lungs."

"I knew I should have grabbed some cigars," Vega quipped, voice high and tight with disbelief and, weirdly, joy. "But when we get back? Drinks are on me."

Derek shuddered, pains still going through him as he waited for the afterbirth. The sound of sirens filled the air as the Alliance finally got their asses in gear to find them.

He didn't care; all that mattered was the small eyes peering up into his. Pale green, almost blue, were studying Derek with the same curious intensity as his dam as Derek looked at his fingers and toes, eyes and nose and ears and tufts of black hair covered in goo.

Dozens of different conflicting thoughts and feelings roiled cold through his gut. He wanted Kaidan and Garrus there so badly it hurt like an open wound. The wistful feeling of loss that his Mum and Pa would never know they had a grandchild. The nakedness of knowing his sister would never be there to tease or cajole.

His bean squirmed, cooing, and something hot and hard clenched Derek's heart. The cold reflexes of a soldier mixed with the every protective instinct he had ever lived with: friend, lover, soldier, big brother and now _mother_ ( _and he recoiled at the word, still didn't want to look at it, wasn't quite right_ ) all rolled into a fierce ball. Cerberus, the Alliance, the Reapers? None of that mattered. Anyone, anything stood between him and his baby? With or without his gun, there wouldn't even be pieces left. Killing for this child went without question. 

No. He would _live_ for this child, no matter what it took. 

"You could try feeding him," Miranda said, turning her back towards him as she kept an eye on the door. "You're equipped for it, and the Bean- what's his name, again? He'll fall asleep shortly and won't wake up for about a day."

"Gabriel Ashley," Derek answered, putting his Bean to his chest. He winced when Bean latched on, and his confused mix of emotions suddenly lifted. 

Derek felt _alive_. He had a human baby- Bean had a nose and eyes and ten fingers and toes in the correct places, see?- and then maybe, perhaps, so was he. 

To his surprise, Derek laughed at the realization. He was human, and he was alive. He believed it. For the first time, since he had awoken at Lazarus Station, he believed it. 

"Hello, Gabriel," he murmured, stroking the baby's still-crusty and white head. "I'm glad you finally got here. I'll protect you."

He looked up, at the small apartment, at the walls. He imagined what was beyond them: the darkness of space, the solar system. And beyond that, what was coming in the dark. The Reapers.

"I promise."

To be continued in "Carry On."  
Questions, comments and criticisms welcomed and encouraged.


End file.
